Skate



(No Model.)

B. L. GILMAN.

Skate.

No. 237,857. Patented Feb. 15, I881.

N.PETERS, PHOTO-UTHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, D (L V 'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFKIE.

EDWARD L. GILMAN, OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

SKATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 237,857, dated February 15, 188 1.

Application filed November 23, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD L. GILMAN, of Somerville, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvementsin Skates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object, first, to provide improved means for operating the movable clamps employed for securing a skate to the foot of the wearer, whereby said clamps can be quickly adjusted to secure or release the skate and securely held when adjusted to secure the skate.

The invention has for its object, secondly, to enable an ice-skate to be readily converted into a'roller-skate, and vice versa.

To these ends my invention consists in the improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a side view of a skate embodying some of my improvements. Fig. 2 represents a top view of the same. Fig. 3 represents a top view of a portion of the skate, showinga modification. Fig. 4 represents an end view. Fig. 5 represents a side view, showing rollers applied to the skate. Fig. 6 represents a section on line :1: 00, Fig. 5. Fig. 7 represents a view of one of the roller-axles detached.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, A represents the blade of a skate having the usual or any desired form, and B represents a support for the sole and heel-of the boot to which the skate is applied, said support being preferably a plate extending continuously from end to end of the skate, and supported by standards 0 0 formed in the ends of the blade A.

D represents arod extending longitudinally of the skate, and journaled in bearings formed in the standards 0 G. On the rod D are screwthreaded portions F F, which have an abrupt pitch, or, in other words, are quick-threaded, and pass through correspondingly-threaded orifices in nuts G H. The nut G is connected by'suitable means to a pair of toe-clamps, I I, which are arranged at opposite sides of the plate B, as seen in Figs. 1, 2, and 6, and are adapted to be moved by the nut G and caused to bind against the opposite edges of the sole of a boot resting on the plate B. The clamps I I are corrugated on their inner sides, and are preferably connected to the nut G by a plate, J, which is rigidly attached to the clamps and the nut, the clamps being preferably formed in the same piece with the plate J.

It will be seen that when the rod D is ro-- tated the nut G will be caused by the quickthreaded screw to move rapidly and carry with it the clamps I, either toward the wider portion of the sole or toward the toe, thus engaging said clamps with or loosening them from the edges of the sole.

If desired, the clamps I may be formed on two plates, K K, which are pivoted independently to the nut G, instead of being rigidly attached thereto, and are provided with beveled lugs L L, which project on each side of a wedge-shaped lug or projection, M, on the under side of the plate B, as seen in dotted lines in Fig. 3. When the nut G is moved toward the projection M the latter, bearing against the lugs L L, turns the plates K K on their pivots and cause the clamps I I to press against the edges of the sole.

N represents the. heel-clamp, which is rigidly attached to the nut H and projects upwardly through a slot, 0, in the plate B. The clamp N is adapted to bear against the front side of the boot-heel, and is moved with its nut H by the rotation of the rod D. The slot 0 in the plate B guides the clamp N in its movements and prevents the nut H from rotating with the rod D. The rear portion of the heel bears against a curved flange, R, on the plate B.

It will be seen that the toe and heel clamps are moved simultaneously and rapidly, so that the operation of securing or loosening the skate by said clamps may be quickly performed. If desired, however, the screw-threaded rod may be used to operate the toe-clamps only, the heel-clamp being operated by other means; or the 116610121111]? only may be operated by the rod.

To hold the nuts and clamps securely in any desired position I provide the rod D with a locking device, consisting preferably of a ratchet, P, on the rear end of the rod and a pawl or detent, Q, pivoted to the end of the plate B, or to the curved heel-flange R, and engaging with the teeth ofthe ratchet, as shown in Fig. 4. This locking device constitutes a very simple, convenient, and cheap means for preventing the clamps from yielding to the pressure to which they are subjected. It is obvious that the quick-threaded screws are liable to be rotated by the pressure upon the clamps, thus permitting the displacement of the clamps. Such rotation is prevented by the loekingdevice'. On the extreme rear end of the rod D is a handle or thumb-piece, S, to enable the wearer of the skate to easily rotate the rod.

T T represent lugs formed on the blade A, to afford seats or sockets for detachable transverse axles U, having rollers V, whereby the skate may be adapted for use on other than icy surfaces. The lugs T are perforated, and the axles U have perforations registering with the perforations of the lugs, so that the axles may be secured to the lugs by inserting bars or pins W through the orifices. These bars or pins may be attached to the nuts G H, as shown in Fig. 1, so that they will always be ready for use, and in this case they should be long enough to enable them to move with the nuts in the usual adjustments of the clamps without being withdrawn from the orifices in the lugs and axles.

If desired, the axles U may be provided with upwardly-projecting braces Y Y, to afi'ord lateral support for the plate B and prevent the torsional strain that would otherwise be exerted on the blade at the point where the axles are attached thereto. The axles are preferably provided with shoulders or enlargements Z Z, adapted to bear against the opposite sides of the lugs T and blade A, to facilitate the application of the axles to their seats and insure the coincidence of the perforations of the axles with the perforations of the lugs.

I claim as my invention 1. In a skate, the combination of the longitudinal screw-threadedjournaled rod operating a movable clamp or clamps, as described, and a locking device whereby said rod is prevented from rotating and caused to firmly hold the clamp or clamps, as set forth.

2. In a skate, the combination of the movable toe and heel clamps, ajournaled rod having quick-threaded screws engaged with nuts connected to said clamps, and adapted to quickly and simultaneously adjust the same, and a locking device whereby the rod is prevented from rotating, and is thus caused to hold the clamps and their nuts in any desired position, as set forth.

3. In a skate, the combination of thejournaled longitudinal screw-threaded rod operating the clamp or clamps, as described, a ratchet, P, rigidly attached to said rod, and a pawl or detent, Q, pivoted to aportion of the skate and adapted to engage with the ratchet, as set forth.

4. The combination of the toe-clamps I I,

the nut G, rigidly connected to said toe-clamps by a plate, J, and thejournaled screw-threaded rod D, adapted to move the nut J and clamps I I, as set forth.

5. The combination of the heel-clamp N, the nut H, to which said heel-clamp is rigidly attached, the journaled screw-threaded rod D, adapted to move the nut H and clamp N, and the slot 0 in the plate B, whereby the clamp is guided in its movements, as set forth.

6. An ice-skate having sockets or seats on its blade, combined with detachable rolleraxles U U, adapted to be inserted and secured in said sockets or seats, as set forth.

7. In an ice-skate the combination of the blade having perforated lugs T T, roller-axles U U, placed between said lugs and having perforations registering therewith, and the longitudinally-traveling nuts G H, provided with pins IV, adapted to enter the perforations of the lugs and axles, as and for the purpose set forth.

8. In a skate, the blade provided with a socket or sockets, combined with one or more sliding nuts arranged therein, a rotatable screw-threaded rod to engage and move said nuts, and a toe or heel clamping device, substantially as described.

9. In a skate, the too or heel clamping devices, either or both, rigidly connected to a sliding nut or nuts secured in a socket or sockets formed with the blade, and movable longitudinally by means of a rotatable screwthreaded rod, substantially as described.

10. In a skate, the toe and heel clamps, rigidly fixed to longitudinally-sliding nuts movable in sockets on the blade, combined with a rotatable threaded rod to engage said nuts, substantially as described.

11. The movable nuts G H, carrying the toe and heel clamps and provided with bars or pins W of a length at least equal to the length of movement of the said nuts, combined with a rotatable screw-rod engaging said nuts and sockets on the blade to receive the bars or pins, and forming seats or bearings therefor, substantially as described.

12. The nut H and the heel-clamp N, formed in one piece, substantially as and for the purpose described.

13. In a skate, alongitudinal rod supported from the blade and provided with two quickthreaded screw portions, combined with toe and heel clamps formed with nuts to receive said screw portions, and with means to positively lock the parts in any given position, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 20th day of November, 1880.

EDWARD L. GILMAN.

Witnesses:

MARY A. CAMPBELL, SARAH E. (Jones. 

